
Corey writes – “This weekend I spent a lot of time working on my MAME cabinet. In the control panel, each button and joystick needed a 1 1/8″ hole drilled. This meant 20 holes in my configuration. With my handy Craftsman battery powered drill and 2 fully charged batteries I went to work. I was only able to drill 3 holes per battery. (this is 3/4″ MDF, strong stuff.. gotta drill about a few millimeters at a time and clean out the hole and teeth before going further)” So he added a 12volt 50 amp-hour gel cell battery and finished the job, more power! – Thanks Saint! Link.










Why not just hook it up to a 12v power supply? Or better yet, borrow your friend’s 110vac drill.
That was my first thought as well–you can get a 3/8″ AC drill for as little as $20 (it will probably have more power anyway). This is one of those solutions that misses the obvious and better choice(s). On the other hand, it’s MAKE, so it’s about cool hacks and clever (alternate) solutions. I guess if you’re trying to get something done quickly with what you have laying around and not have to make an emergency shopping trip (the desert island scenario)…
well…it did work….
That’s just daft. Yes, a mains one will do the job far faster, but that drill bit must be way blunt, or rubbish.
If you want to drill the holes fast and easy, use a spade bit, rather than a hole cutter. Use a fast speed and the wood clears itself quite fast, or put the wood sideways, so it helps it clear, or use a vaccuum. I drill lots of big holes with my 36V drills, and I get way more than 3 per charge!
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